express herself. I find that strangely refreshing.”
“Most men find it strange and annoying.”
He chuckled. “Men with small minds are threatened by intelligent women.”
“And your mind is expansive?”
“I’ve discovered intelligence does not only smile on one gender. In fact, women seem to have a certain intuition that often eludes men.”
Mrs. Berkley turned her head and looked him fully in the eye. Speechless, he beheld her radiant beauty. For a fleeting moment, a haunted look entered her eyes, as if something caged begged for freedom. Perhaps she was trapped alone in her world of etiquette. Then she shut the expression behind a carefully constructed mask of serenity.
“You have a most generous attitude, Mr. Amesbury.”
He quirked a grin. “Does that mean you’ll fish with us?”
She turned away, a smile touching her lips. “Perhaps.”
“You aren’t speaking freely anymore.”
A tiny frown creased her brow and she held her luscious lower lip between her teeth. He’d never wanted so badly to kiss a woman. Here. Now. In public.
But that would scandalize her and he’d lose all chances of…
Of what? He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted, but stealing another kiss certainly wouldn’t attain it.
Her serious grey eyes returned to him. “Will you give me an honest answer if I ask you a direct question?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Who were those men threatening you? And why?”
He stilled. Anything but that.
He’d distracted her the last two times she asked him that question, but he suspected she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had a believable answer.
“Leandro and his right hand man, Santos, have been trying to kill me for years. Leandro blames me for the death of his half-brother, Macy. He also believes—erroneously—that I withheld some of the plunder our ship took during the war, and that I secretly hid it away instead of turning it over to the prize courts or dividing it up with the crew.”
“Your ship? You were in the navy?”
“A privateer.”
She nodded, and her expression seemed to relax as if she’d feared a different answer. Had she expected him to tell her he’d really been a pirate, and, in a way, still was?
He fidgeted with the reins. “When you came upon us, he was trying to force me to give up the coordinates of the island where he thinks the cache was hidden.”
“You mean like pirate’s treasure?” She looked more intrigued than disapproving.
He smiled disarmingly. “I wasn’t a pirate, I was a privateer. And there is no hidden treasure. I turned it all over to the government. The admiralty knows Leandro’s after me, but he’s so slippery, they can’t catch him.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t apprehend him when I had the opportunity.” Her brow creased into an endearing frown.
He grinned at the thought of her prodding Leandro at gunpoint all the way to the magistrate. “No doubt you could have. Fear not. He’s probably gone back to sea in search of easier prey.”
“I’m glad to hear you weren’t truly a pirate.”
“Did you honestly believe me when I said that to Colin?”
“I hadn’t quite decided.”
He chuckled. “I do appreciate your honesty. Most women seem to think it unladylike to speak their mind.”
“I’ve grown even more outspoken since Edward died.”
“Oh? He didn’t appreciate your forthrightness?”
“He had a calming influence upon me.” Her brow creased.
“Calming or quelling?”
She shot him a look of annoyance. “His presence was a soothing reminder of how I ought to comport myself.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“I wanted him to be happy, and I did what I could to be the kind of wife he deserved.” Her voice grew testy.
“So for him you buried every desire of your heart?”
She stared as if he’d just suggested a scandalous liaison.
Druesdale maneuvered himself to the other side of Mrs. Berkley. He greeted Jared civilly and promptly turned his back on him to
“Most men find it strange and annoying.”
He chuckled. “Men with small minds are threatened by intelligent women.”
“And your mind is expansive?”
“I’ve discovered intelligence does not only smile on one gender. In fact, women seem to have a certain intuition that often eludes men.”
Mrs. Berkley turned her head and looked him fully in the eye. Speechless, he beheld her radiant beauty. For a fleeting moment, a haunted look entered her eyes, as if something caged begged for freedom. Perhaps she was trapped alone in her world of etiquette. Then she shut the expression behind a carefully constructed mask of serenity.
“You have a most generous attitude, Mr. Amesbury.”
He quirked a grin. “Does that mean you’ll fish with us?”
She turned away, a smile touching her lips. “Perhaps.”
“You aren’t speaking freely anymore.”
A tiny frown creased her brow and she held her luscious lower lip between her teeth. He’d never wanted so badly to kiss a woman. Here. Now. In public.
But that would scandalize her and he’d lose all chances of…
Of what? He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted, but stealing another kiss certainly wouldn’t attain it.
Her serious grey eyes returned to him. “Will you give me an honest answer if I ask you a direct question?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Who were those men threatening you? And why?”
He stilled. Anything but that.
He’d distracted her the last two times she asked him that question, but he suspected she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had a believable answer.
“Leandro and his right hand man, Santos, have been trying to kill me for years. Leandro blames me for the death of his half-brother, Macy. He also believes—erroneously—that I withheld some of the plunder our ship took during the war, and that I secretly hid it away instead of turning it over to the prize courts or dividing it up with the crew.”
“Your ship? You were in the navy?”
“A privateer.”
She nodded, and her expression seemed to relax as if she’d feared a different answer. Had she expected him to tell her he’d really been a pirate, and, in a way, still was?
He fidgeted with the reins. “When you came upon us, he was trying to force me to give up the coordinates of the island where he thinks the cache was hidden.”
“You mean like pirate’s treasure?” She looked more intrigued than disapproving.
He smiled disarmingly. “I wasn’t a pirate, I was a privateer. And there is no hidden treasure. I turned it all over to the government. The admiralty knows Leandro’s after me, but he’s so slippery, they can’t catch him.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t apprehend him when I had the opportunity.” Her brow creased into an endearing frown.
He grinned at the thought of her prodding Leandro at gunpoint all the way to the magistrate. “No doubt you could have. Fear not. He’s probably gone back to sea in search of easier prey.”
“I’m glad to hear you weren’t truly a pirate.”
“Did you honestly believe me when I said that to Colin?”
“I hadn’t quite decided.”
He chuckled. “I do appreciate your honesty. Most women seem to think it unladylike to speak their mind.”
“I’ve grown even more outspoken since Edward died.”
“Oh? He didn’t appreciate your forthrightness?”
“He had a calming influence upon me.” Her brow creased.
“Calming or quelling?”
She shot him a look of annoyance. “His presence was a soothing reminder of how I ought to comport myself.”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
“I wanted him to be happy, and I did what I could to be the kind of wife he deserved.” Her voice grew testy.
“So for him you buried every desire of your heart?”
She stared as if he’d just suggested a scandalous liaison.
Druesdale maneuvered himself to the other side of Mrs. Berkley. He greeted Jared civilly and promptly turned his back on him to
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